Calderdale extends response deadline for draft Local Plan to noon on October 1

Calderdale has extended its draft Local Plan response deadline to noon on October 1, 2018

Published:17:06Wednesday 19 September 2018

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Calderdale Council has extended the deadline for people to respond to its draft Local Plan to noon on Monday, October 1.

The six week representation period was extended after intermittent technical issues with the council’s website meant that some people were unable to leave comments on it over the weekend of September 15 and 16.

The final day for representations was to have been September 24 but that has now been revised.

The draft Local Plan identifies development areas for economic growth, and sites for around 9,500 new homes, shaping where Calderdale people might live or work over the next 15 years.

Two full public consultations on the draft Local Plan has influenced the proposals as they have developed and the representation period is a technical and legal consultation with people now only able to comment on three very specific aspects – whether they think the draft Local Plan is compliant with current legislation, if the plans are “sound” and if they comply with the Duty to Co-operate.

The draft can also be viewed at Calderdale libraries, and officers will be available from 9am until 1pm at Halifax Customer First every Monday, Wednesday and Friday until the deadline ends.

Calderdale Council’s Cabinet member for Planning, Housing and Environment, Coun Daniel Sutherland (Lab, Illingworth and Mixenden) said: “We want everyone to have the chance to comment on the draft Local Plan so we’ve extended the representation period so that people have a bit more time to respond.”

Once the representation period closes, the council will not be able to amend the draft Local Plan after reviewing the representations made, but they will be included with the draft Local Plan when it is submitted to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government for examination by an independent Planning Inspector.

Calderdale Council is following a timetable for publication which was agreed with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, which will see the draft Local Plan, including the representations from the public, submitted in December 2018.

It will then be examined in detail by an independent Planning Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State and the examination could last around nine months.

Adoption of the plan by Calderdale Council, following receipt of the Inspector’s Report, is expected to be confirmed by the end of 2019, says the council.